Gun mounting



Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFHCE GUN MOUNTING Hubert Scott-Paine, Greenwich, Conn.

Application August 15, 1942, Serial No. 454,918

1 Claim. (Cl. 89-375) This invention relates to a support or mounting for apparatus which is to be sighted or aimed by an operator. Although the invention is particularly applicable to gun mountings, it is also applicable to mountings for other kinds of apparatus Which have to be aimed, such as cameras for either still or motion pictures.

The invention may be considered an improvement upon the mounting described in the copending application of Hubert Scott-Paine, Serial No. 422,470, which matured into Patent No. 2,345,504 issued March 28, 1944, since the particular object of the invention is to improve that apparatus. The apparatus described in said ap-- plication is characterized by a horizontally rotatable framework having a central opening providing a cockpit, a gun (or other apparatus to be aimed) directed outwardly from said cockpit and mounted on an arch extending around the forepart of the cockpit and pivoted to said framework at opposite sides of the cockpit, a back-bar rigidly fixed to said arch and extending around the rear part of the cockpit, and a gunners seat supported at its rear from said back-bar and at its front from said framework. In that apparatus, the rotatable framework includes a ring Which is rotated by electric, hydraulic or pneumatic power means controlled from a control box carried by the chair which supports the operator and adapted to be operated by his feet. Thus the operator, by manipulating the control box with his feet, controls the power apparatus which produces rotation of the ring and the coarse deflection of the guns to be aimed, said guns being pivoted on the supporting arch so as to permit their deflection through a small arc for fine adjustment of the aim.

The improvement which comprises the present invention does away with the power means for rotating the ring and the foot manipulated control box for said means, and provides instead means whereby the operator by forces exerted by his legs may rotate the ring as may be necessary in the aiming of the gun which as before is mounted on the arch so as to permit its deflection through a short are for fine adjustment of the aim. Thus, the construction of the apparatus is simplified and the operators feeling that he has proper control of the rotation of the ring is increased. As will hereafter appear, the construction is such that rotation of the ring may be produced by the operator in all positions of the operators seat which, being pivotally supported from the back-bar and framework, tilts with the vertical aiming movements of the gun.

The invention will be understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan view, with some irrelevant details omitted, of a gun support embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, with some parts broken away and in section; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the gearing by which rotation of the ring is effected.

In the drawing, machine guns 3 are shown, it being understood that these guns may be replaced by any other apparatus to be sighted, such as a camera. The mounting for the machine guns comprises a framework including a circular ring 4 which is supported for rotation on ball bearings 5 mounted on the top of a support 6 such as the top of the turret. Secured to the ring 4 on either side are platforms 1 and 8 which abut side bars 9 and ID. The space within the framework thus provides a cockpit within which the operator or gunner sits.

The guns 3 are mounted so as to be supported at least in part and elevated by an elevating member or arch I4 which extends around the forepart of the cockpit. This arch I4 is pivoted on either side of the cockpit in bearings I5 supported from the platforms 1 and 8 by any suitable brackets such as those shown at l6. Movement of the arch M on the pivots l5 elevates the guns; and such elevation may be effected in known manner by air or liquid propelled pistons operating in the cylinders I! mounted on the arch M, the connecting rods attached to the pistons within the cylinders I! being pivotally secured to the platforms I and 8, as will be understood. A mechanism (not shown) under control of the operator and usually governed by vertical manipulation of the guns controls the flow of actuating fluid into the cylinders I! and consequent elevation and depression of the arch M. The seat for the gunner is supported from the side bars 9 and I0, and from a back-bar 20' which is attached to the arch l4 as shown at 2|, so that said back-bar 20. extends around. the rear part of the cockpit. The operators seat, which is generally referred to by the reference character 22, may be formed of welded tubing to which may be attached covering's for the seat and back of any desired material such as sheet metal or fabric. A rigid and practicable structure may be made by bending a single tubing into the sections a, b, c, d, e, f and g, which are then joined by cross bars h and i. Arms k and I may be added if desired. Sections a and g of chair 22 form and support its back and also serve as supports for the rear part of the seat, said sections a and g being pivotally suspended from brackets 24 and 25 on the back-bar 20. The front edge of the seat is suspended by supports 26 and 21 from the side bars 9 and, I0, the connections at both the top and bottom of the supports 26 and 21 being pivotal. Thus the chair 22 is hinged for free movement at the top of its back and at the front edge of its seat, so that as the guns are elevated and the back-bar drops the seat 22 will tilt backward and move forward, thus giving the gunner a true sighting path at all angles of elevation of the guns and affording him perfect sighting facilities.

The means by which the ring 4 is rotated, for the deflection of the guns, will now be described. The power for this purpose is supplied by the gunner or operator who sits in the seat 22,

through the medium of a pedal-ope'rated'mechanism. As shown in the drawing, a peda1.-.oper-.

ated shaft 30 is mounted in bearings 3| and 32 attached to and supportedby the section 11 of the seat structure 22. Theshaft 30 at its opposite ends is provided with cranks 34 and 35 carrying pedals 36 and 38 adapted to be engaged by rotation in a housing 45 whichsurrounds the gears 40 and M. Slidingly arranged'within' the tubular member 42 is a rod 46 provided with a pin 41 which at each end extends into slots .49

in the tubular member 42 as shown in Fig. .2.

At its upper end, the. rod :46is connected by. a

universaljoint 50 to a shaft carrying a pinion 5|, said shaft. being ,journaled in a bearing 52 in a 1 bracket 53 which is rigidly attached to the ring 4. The teeth of the pinion 5| mesh with the teeth of a circular rack 55 which is rigidly securedto the support 6.. Therefore, when the 'pin-.

ion 5! is rotated by the operator through'the.

medium of the pedal-operated mechanism, .the ring .4 and everything carried. thereby .will be rotated on the. ball. bearings :5 on the support 6.

a When. the seat 22 is tilted b the elevating of the.

guns 3-.in the manner hereinbefore described,-the

universal jointv and the telescopingactionof.

the tubular member 42 and the rod 46 permit the necessary movement of the pedal-operated shaft 30 with reference to the shaft upo which the pinion 5| is mounted.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the operator or gunner sitting in the seat 22 with his feet on the pedals 36 and 38 can, by rotating the pedal-operated shaft 30, effect rotary movement of the ring 4 and all of the parts carried thereby, including the guns or other devices to be aimed; and that this rotation can be effected by the operator regardless of the angle of elevation of the guns and the tilting of the operator's seat 22; Thus deflection of the gun or other device "for approximate aiming is provided for and is directly effected by the operator, without the use of pneumatic, hydraulic or electric means as has heretofore been customary. The result is not only a simplified mechanism, but also improvement in the accuracy of control since the rotationof thesupporting ring'4 andeverything car'- riedthereby-is directly effected .by'the operator.

It is to be understoodthat the embodiment of theinventionherein described is merely-illustra-r 'tive and; that it maybe modified Withoutdeparta ingfromthe scopeof the invention as defined in the claim hereto appended;

What I claim is: In combination, .a fixed support, a framework defining .a'cockpit and including a ring rotatably mountedzon said. support, .a device requiring aiming,.elevating .means supportingsaid device on said framework, a circular. gearrack on said support, a gear pinion carried by said ring and envgaging said. gear. rack, an operators seat supported'jointly from-said. ring and elevating device and movable .within said. cockpit, a pedal-operated shaftcarried bysaid .seat in a. positionto be actuated by thelfeet of the operatonaand means. for transmitting rotary movementfrom said pedal-operatedshaft to said gear pinion comprising. a beveled. gearmounted onssaid shaft, a beveled pinion .cooperatingwith said. beveledgear, an extensible :driving shaftconnected to said beveled pinion, and-.a universal joint connection between said extensible shaft.andsaid gear pinion.

HUBERT sCOTT -PAlNE. 

